This invention relates to insulation of electronic components, and more specifically to insulation of plural electronic units, including a single insulation for a plurality of electronic components and for insulation of circuit boards on which the components are mounted.
In the prior art, it is known to insulate individual electronic component. Such insulation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,448, for example, wherein a heat shrinkable thermoplastic oriented film is used to provide a tight protective coating for encapsulation of individual electrical components.
The process described therein is contemplated for insulating individual electrical components such as condensers by a protective covering which is resistant to abrasion and moisture.
However, the prior art fails to contemplate and to provide encapsulation for electronic circuits mounted on circuit boards, for the circuit boards themselves, or for the plurality of components.
Similar deficiencies are also found in other prior art disclosures, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,364, wherein a rubber-like sleeve is contemplated as being bonded to a single resistor, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,130, wherein a sleeve of polyvinylchloride plastics is placed and heat-shrunk around a single wound coil and the adjacent decks forming a single wound-film capacitor.
However, in present technology, many electronic devices are mounted on circuit boards, which typically include a plurality of electronic components, which are then typically sold and shipped as a unit. Whether or not mounted on a circuit board, it is widely accepted that electronic circuits are formed of a plurality of electronic components, and that such circuits are sold and shipped as a unit. The prior art, however, fails to provide insulation, weatherization, encapsulation, or protection for such modern electronic devices and circuits, whether or not mounted on circuit boards.
There is thus a need in the prior art for insulation of electronic devices which are comprised of electronic components mounted on circuit boards. Indeed, there is a need for protection of circuit boards per se and for circuits formed of plural electronic components, as well as for components mounted on circuit boards.